The present invention relates generally to roll forming equipment for making ductwork and, more particularly, to an apparatus for providing insulation material for attachment to sheet metal ductwork as the sheet metal moves along a production line prior to being completely formed into a duct-like shape for use in a wide variety of different residential, commercial and industrial applications such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) ductwork. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing an insulation material for lining sheet metal ductwork.
Commercially produced rectangular or other shaped sheet metal ductwork is conventionally made in various lengths and widths depending upon the particular application. Such ductwork is roll formed in stages using appropriate roll forming equipment and is typically formed in sections. These duct sections are cut, notched and edged while moving along a production line. A typical section of sheet metal 210 for forming a section of ductwork is illustrated in FIG. 2. Prior to bending the sheet metal sections 210 into a preferably rectangular or other shaped ductwork, insulation material such as material 220 is generally adhered to what will become the inner surfaces of the finished ductwork. Lining the ductwork with insulation material improves the heating and/or cooling efficiency of the ductwork; it helps to prevent duct sweating; and it helps with noise abatement. Such insulation materials are typically packaged in rolls of various widths and/or lengths and are also available in various thicknesses and densities.
FIG. 1 discloses a prior art apparatus 100 for applying insulation material to a section of sheet metal for forming ductwork. The apparatus 100 includes a plurality of work stations including an adhesive depositing station 120, an insulation material application station 130, and a transition station 140. Attached to the apparatus 100 is a transverse reel or spool 110 for holding insulation material. Insulation material 112 is wound onto the transverse spool 110 for dispensing and distribution as will be further explained and is fed around guide roller 115 and through guider apparatus 116 to the transition station 140. Pinch roller mechanism 142 moves the insulation material 112 through the transition station 140 for mating with the sheet metal section at station 130. A conveyor system or assembly 150 conveys the various sheet metal sections through the various stations in a generally straight line along the longitudinal axis A.
The apparatus 100 includes a base 152 adapted for supporting the various components of the stations 120, 130, 140 and the conveyor system 150. The sheet metal sections are supplied from a typical coil duct processing system and are transported along a conventional conveyor belt system 150. The conveyor system 150 is provided with mechanisms to move the sheet metal sections and the insulation material preferably in synchronized linear motion along and onto the conveyor system 150.
As the sheet metal sections 210 are fed from a typical production line onto the conveyor system 150, these sections are first transferred to the adhesive depositing station 120. Station 120, as shown in FIG. 1, includes one or more adhesive depositors 122 positioned above the conveyor belt 154, each adhesive depositor 122 being operable to apply a predetermined quantity of adhesive material onto the upwardly facing surface of the sheet metal sections passing thereunder at selected locations therealong. The adhesive material is at a temperature adequate to provide the appropriate viscosity and cure time prior to the application of the insulation material 112 to the sheet metal section.
Once the adhesive material is applied, the conveyor system 150 conveys the sheet metal sections in a direction along axis A toward the insulation material application station 130. The transfer mechanism 140 is operable to feed and lower the insulation material sequentially downwardly and ultimately into engagement with the upwardly facing surface of a respective sheet metal section for contact with the adhesive material applied thereto. Cutters are associated with the transfer mechanism 140 for cutting the insulation material 112 into appropriate lengths for mating with the corresponding dimensional sheet metal sections. In this regard, appropriate computer control means are provided for controlling the cutting of the insulation material, the adhesive application, and the mating and joining of the sheet metal sections with the insulation material at the application station 130.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the single transverse reel or spool 110 is removably mounted for rotation to the upper end portions of the support frames 114 in a conventional manner. The spool or reel 110 holds and supports a single roll of insulation material 112 which is to be fed downwardly along path B through guide mechanism 116 for feeding the insulation material into the transition station 140. The pinch roller mechanism 142 associated with the transition station 140 allows the insulation material 112 to be unwound off of the reel or spool 110 and moves the insulation material to the next work station and into engagement with the sheet metal section at station 130 as previously explained. The apparatus 100 includes a motor for rotating the pinch roller mechanism 142. Guide mechanisms 116 and 118 are disposed between the transverse spool 110 and the insulation material application station 130 for guiding the leading edge portion of the dispensed insulation material 112 through the transition station 140 to the application station 130.
The roll of insulation material 112 is compression rolled onto spool 110 as illustrated in FIG. 1 for use in the apparatus 100. The common procedure for installing the reel or spool 110 with insulation material 112 rolled thereon is to transport the spool 110 with insulation material thereon to the apparatus 100 and thereafter manually mount the rolled spool 110 onto the support frames 114. Installation is typically accomplished by two workmen physically lifting and properly positioning the rolled spool 110 onto appropriate apparatus associated with support frames 114. In this regard, each reel or spool 110 typically includes a shaft 111A which is removably positionable within the appropriate structure associated with the spool 110 such as a centrally located sleeve 111B. The sleeve 111B will house appropriate connection means for attaching the shaft 111A to the spool 110. Once mounted to the support frames 114, the spool 110 rotates between the support frames 114 and is supported by shaft 111A during operation of the apparatus 100.
The shaft 111A is typically removed from one spool 110 and inserted within another rolled spool 110 whenever a new roll of insulation material 112 is needed. For example, since the prior art apparatus 100 only holds a single spool or roll of insulation material 112, when a roll of insulation material is depleted, workmen must remove the empty spool 110 from the support frames 114 and thereafter remove the shaft 111A from such spool for insertion into a new fully loaded rolled spool of insulation material. Because of the weight associated with a fully loaded rolled spool of insulation material and the locking means associated with the prior art structures, two workmen are required to remove an existing spool 110 from the support frames 114, one workman on each opposite side of the spool. The same is likewise true when installing a new roll of insulation material 112 with its corresponding spool 110 onto the support frames 114. A single workman cannot accomplish this task. This is one of the deficiencies associated with the prior art devices of this type.
Still further, depending upon the particular job or application, differently sized sheet metal sections will be processed using the apparatus 100. Since a particular roll of insulation material 112 is sized to correspond with a particularly sized sheet metal section and for a particular application, when one job application is completed and a differently sized sheet metal section is processed immediately thereafter, the existing roll of insulation material 112 with its associated spool 110 must be removed and a new roll of insulation material 112 sized and shaped for the next application must be mounted on the apparatus 100 as previously explained. This requires stopping the entire production line, changing out the appropriate rolls of insulation material 112, and then restarting the production process. This is time consuming and again requires two workmen to accomplish the task.
This swapping of appropriately sized rolls of insulation material 112 also occurs whenever a different type of insulation material is to be used with a particular sheet metal section, or when a different insulation thickness is required for a particular job application. Again, since the prior art apparatus 100 holds and supports only a single roll of insulation material 112, constant change-out of the rolls of insulation material occurs causing production inefficiencies and delays in the overall process.
It is therefore desirable to provide an insulation spool apparatus which improves the overall insulation lining process including the time efficiency and workman efficiency for loading and unloading the insulation material including different types and different sizes of insulation material. It is also desirable to reduce the overall costs, labor and time associated with the loading and unloading process.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an insulation spool apparatus which overcomes one or more of the problems as set forth above.